Secunderabad Railway SP Chandana Deepti, DSP K. Srinivas Rao and other inspectors and RPF personnel during a press conference | Photo credit: By arrangement
Vikarabad railway police have arrested a man who had been threatening and robbing passengers on several trains across the South Central Railway network for years. Gold ornaments, silver, cash and mobile phones linked to several thefts and robberies were recovered from him.
Police have identified the accused as Thanedar Singh, a native of Arni village in Aligarh district, Uttar Pradesh. Singh started his criminal career as a petty thief and pickpocket in 2004 at Pune railway station, later expanding his activities to the Vikarabad–Secunderabad–Pune route. Over the years, he became infamous for assaulting passengers, stealing valuables, and even assaulting police officers who tried to arrest him.
According to officials, Singh was involved in at least 62 cases of robbery, theft and assault in multiple states, including Telangana and Karnataka. He was previously arrested in 2007, 2012, 2014 and 2019 and served jail terms in Hyderabad, Solapur and Raichur. Despite repeated imprisonments, he continued his criminal activities after being released on bail, including smuggling marijuana and escaping from police custody in Mahabubnagar in 2021.
The last incident was reported on October 7, when Singh assaulted a female passenger, Sk. Sana Anjum, 24, on the Aurangabad–Guntur Express near Vikarabad. When the woman resisted his attempt to steal her phone and cash, Singh slashed her left hand with a blade, causing serious injury, before fleeing with ₹3,000 and a mobile phone. He was later traced to Bharat Nagar railway station where the police detained him after a search.
The police recovered 96 grams of gold, 43 grams of silver, ₹1,500 in cash and three mobile phones associated with 14 cases from his possession. Investigators also confirmed that Singh faces several outstanding warrants for similar offenses in Raichur and Wadi.
Published – 07 Nov 2025 20:33 IST
